3 Steps for Disputing Difficult Thoughts

Do you sometimes find that you are actually responsible for putting yourself down?

You might be sitting in a quiet room, maybe you are even upset at the moment, and you find yourself thinking you are not good enough or you begin telling yourself that you cannot do something…

Oftentimes, we are our own worst enemy. It is hard to deny what our minds tell us. We feel that just about everything think must be true. But, the mind can be a scary thing…

There are plenty of times where it feeds us lies. And, the only thing that is able to get between those negative thoughts is our own realization that it is not true.

Especially during addiction recovery, emotional distress can really wreak havoc on your overall health and your recovery success rate. As you think these negative thoughts, you might find yourself giving in or wanting to give up because your mind can so easily convince you of whatever negative thought it is proposing to you.

But, you have the greatest power of all – you can control your mind and feed it true, helpful, hopeful, and nurturing thoughts rather than harmful and negative lies.

Try these practices for talking yourself out of negative thoughts:

Ask yourself: Is this thought true?

Find a piece of paper, a small piece of cardboard or a rock and write the word “truth” on it. Hold onto that while you give yourself the truth test.

Did this actually happen?

If I asked my {insert: mom, spouse, child, etc.} would they say the same thing?

What is making me think this?

Oftentimes, if there is no explanation to the last question and the first two answers are “no,” then your thought is not true.

Ask yourself: Is this thought hopeful?

Does it support your dreams, goals, and route for recovery?

Or, does it put more negativity into your life?

Even in times of struggle, focus on the positive and hopeful thoughts. Successful recovery starts with thinking and truly knowing that you can do it.